ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF A BREEDING PROGRAMME FOR SETTING UP TWO HIGH PERFORMANCES BEE LINES

This study aimed to evaluate costs, incomes and financial results related to the creation of two Apis Mellifica Carpatica lines, based on a specific Breeding Programme within a closed population. The two beelines have been carefully selected for the bee populations living in two areas of Romania: North Moldavia and South Muntenia. A new selection technology is set up in order to produce high performance queen bees, well adapted to the environmental conditions mainly to picking. Genetic gain will be get by selling the mated selected queens belonging to the two lines to various beekeepers interested to obtain more and high quality bee products

Comparison of classification methods : An application in underwater ferromagnetic object identification

The time-frequency analysis of magnetic signals, generated by ferromagnetic objects, is used to extract a robust discriminan t parameter set for their classification . After the feature selection phase, an extensive study is performed in order to validate th e most appropriate classifier structure, in terms of the correct classification rate and the generalization ability . The K-NN Famil y and the neural networks based classifiers are the candidates we are working with . The Fuzzy-logic contribution and the neura l networks capabilities are highlighted by means of a large number of test vectors and for a significative S/N ratio range.L'analyse temps-fréquence des signaux magnétiques, générés par des objets ferromagnétiques sous-marins, est utilisée afin de trouver un ensemble de paramètres discriminants pour leur classification. Après l'étape de sélection de caractéristiques, une étude étendue est menée pour comparer différentes structures de classifieurs, en fonction du taux moyen de bonne classification et de la capacité de généralisation. Les vertus de la logique floue, intégrée dans les classifieurs de la famille des K plus proches voisins (K-NN), et des classifieurs à base de réseaux de neurones sont mises en évidence au moyen d'un grand nombre de vecteurs de test et à une plage significative de variation pour le rapport S/B

Modélisation des cibles détectées par un radar de surveillance maritime à haute résolution

- Afin d'optimiser les performances des radars à haute résolution pour la détection à la surface de la mer il est nécessaire de développer des modèles adéquats aussi bien pour les cibles navales que pour le fouillis de mer. Alors que ce dernier fait l'objet de nombreuses études, les modèles des cibles utilisés sont toujours ceux développés par Swerling. Le modèle proposé dans l'article intègre les effets de la haute résolution en distance assurée par le radar et de la visibilité géométrique discontinue, qui apparaît surtout dans le cas des petites cibles

About the Dynamic Behaviour of Composite Bars Reinforced with Cotton or Hemp Fibers

In this paper, the authors designed several green composites with natural reinforcements (hemp and cotton fibers) and the matrix is a synthetic resin (epoxy resin). On having produced the samples, the authors determined the dynamic mechanical characteristics. The dynamic parameters were determined from the bar free vibrations. The next experimental rig was used: the bars were clamped at one end and left free at the other end. At the free end, a Bruel&Kjaer accelerometer with 0.04 pC/ms-2 sensitivity was placed, in order to record the beam dynamic response. A force was applied at the free end to bend the beams, and after bending, the force was cancelled and the beams were left to vibrate freely. The accelerometer was connected to a Nexus signal conditioner, and the signal conditioner was connected to a SPIDER 8 data acquisition system made by Hottinger Baldwin Messtec. The acquisition system was connected to a notebook and the experimental parameters were obtained through the CATMAN EASY software. From the free vibrations recording, the next mechanical parameters were determined: the eigenfrequency of the first eigenmode, the damping factors per mass unit and per unit length, the loss factor and the dynamic Young modulus and stiffness. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the materials with epoxy resin reinforced with hemp have better vibration damping properties as compared to the composites made from epoxy reinforced with cotton fibers

Application d'opérateurs de fusion floue à la classification automatique de cibles réalisée par un radar polarimétrique

L'article décrit l'application de quelques opérateurs de fusion floue pour la classification automatique de profils de distance mesurés par un radar polarimétrique. L'acquisition des signatures radar réelles est réalisée dans la chambre anéchoïde de l'ENSIETA, pour 5 modèles d'avions réduits à l'échelle et 3 combinaisons de polarisation. L'analyse des résultats en classification obtenus au travers des intégrales de Sugeno et de Choquet, ainsi que de la théorie des possibilités, permet de conclure sur les opérateurs de fusion floue les mieux adaptés dans le contexte de l'application visée

Technique neuronale pour la détection CFAC optimale dans du fouillis de mer non-Gaussien

- Un nouveau processeur radar CFAR (Constant False Alarm Rate) pour la détection optimale des cibles navales est proposé dans l'article. Il est basé sur l'utilisation d'un réseau de neurones pour approximer de façon implicite, par apprentissage, les densités de probabilité multidimensionnelles correspondant au fouillis et au signal écho utile. La règle de décision utilisée est équivalente au test du maximum du rapport de vraisemblance généralisé. Des méthodes pour le calcul du seuil de détection et pour assurer son invariance par rapport au rapport S/B et aux paramètres du fouillis sont également présentées

Prevalence and Outcomes for Heavily Treatment-Experienced (HTE) Individuals Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in a European Cohort

BACKGROUND: Although antiretroviral treatments have improved survival of persons living with HIV, their long-term use may limit available drug options. We estimated the prevalence of heavily treatment-experienced (HTE) status and the potential clinical consequences of becoming HTE. SETTING: EuroSIDA, a European multicentre prospective cohort study. METHODS: A composite definition for HTE was developed, based on estimates of antiretroviral resistance and prior exposure to specific antiretroviral regimens. Risks of progressing to clinical outcomes were assessed by Poisson regression, comparing every HTE individual with three randomly-selected controls who never became HTE. RESULTS: Of 15,570 individuals under follow-up in 2010-2016, 1617 (10.4%, 95% CI 9.9-10.9%) were classified as HTE. 1093 individuals became HTE during prospective follow-up (HTE incidence rate 1.76, CI 1.66-1.87 per 100 person-years of follow-up). The number of HTE individuals was highest in West/Central Europe (636/4019 persons, 15.7%) and lowest in East Europe (26/2279 persons, 1.1%). Although most HTE individuals maintained controlled viral loads (<400 copies/ml), many had low CD4 counts (≤350 cells/µl). After controlling for age, immunological parameters and pre-existing comorbidities, HTE status was not associated with the risk of new AIDS (adjusted incidence rate ratio, aIRR 1.44, CI 0.86-2.40, p = 0.16) or non-AIDS clinical events (aIRR 0.96, CI 0.74-1.25, p = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: HTE prevalence increased with time. After adjusting for key confounding factors, there was no evidence for an increased risk of new AIDS or non-AIDS clinical events in HTE. Additional therapeutic options and effective management of comorbidities remain important to reduce clinical complications in HTE individuals

Exploring cognitive and biological correlates of sleep quality and their potential links with Alzheimer's disease (ALFASleep project): protocol for an observational study

The growing worldwide prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the lack of effective treatments pose a dire medical challenge. Sleep disruption is also prevalent in the ageing population and is increasingly recognised as a risk factor and an early sign of AD. The ALFASleep project aims to characterise sleep with subjective and objective measurements in cognitively unimpaired middle/late middle-aged adults at increased risk of AD who are phenotyped with fluid and neuroimaging AD biomarkers. This will contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms linking sleep with AD, thereby paving the way for the development of non-invasive biomarkers and preventive strategies targeting sleep.We will invite 200 participants enrolled in the ALFA+ (for ALzheimer and FAmilies) prospective observational study to join the ALFASleep study. ALFA+ participants are cognitively unimpaired middle-aged/late middle-aged adults who are followed up every 3 years with a comprehensive set of evaluations including neuropsychological tests, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling, and MRI and positron emission tomography acquisition. ALFASleep participants will be additionally characterised with actigraphy and CSF-orexin-A measurements, and a subset (n=90) will undergo overnight polysomnography. We will test associations of sleep measurements and CSF-orexin-A with fluid biomarkers of AD and glial activation, neuroimaging outcomes and cognitive performance. In case we found any associations, we will test whether changes in AD and/or glial activation markers mediate the association between sleep and neuroimaging or cognitive outcomes and whether sleep mediates associations between CSF-orexin-A and AD biomarkers.The ALFASleep study protocol has been approved by the independent Ethics Committee Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona (2018/8207/I). All participants have signed a written informed consent before their inclusion (approved by the same ethics committee). Study findings will be presented at national and international conferences and submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.NCT04932473.© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ